Stitched buttonhole



May 5, 1925.

E. B. ALLEN STITCHED BUTTONHOLE Filed Nov. 4, 1924 l1 lil/ DI." IDIIV INVENTOR A ORNEY Patented `May 5, 1 925.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD '.B. ALLEN, OF NEWYTOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE SINGER'MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

sT'ITc-i-riin BU'r'ioNHoLE. l

To all whomlz'tmmg/ concern: Be it known that I, EDWARD B. ALLEN, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Newtown, in the county of Fairfield and State' of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stitched Buttonholes, of which the following is a specification, reference beingy had therein tothe accompanying drawings. y t

This invention has for an object to provide a stitched rbuttonhole which is particularly adaptedfor knit goods and Vwhich strongly resists deformation and'yet isfflat and flexible, as distinguised from the rigid and wiry buttonholes heretofore produced in knit goods work.

To the attainment of the ends in view, the invention comprises a knitted body-fabric in .which is stitched an oversea-ni having purls along both its inner and outer edges, substantially the entire space between such purls being filled by a strong but `soft yarn filler which is compressed into a flattened condition and widened out by the coveringr thread loops of the overseam, so as to substantially fill the space between the purled edges. The present overseam comprises a zigzag needle-thread and two looper-threads, which are formed alternately into coveringthread loops extending across the full width of the overse'ain. Such an overseam is particularly eiiicacious, in combinationwith a soft yarn filler, in that the covering-thread loops extending alternately from one to the V other side of the overseani, 'effectively cover and conceal the soft yarn which wouldbe inclined to stick up and show vbetween the cross-threads of the usual buttonhole overseains. A further feature of the invention is the bringing together of the ends of the above, described overseam to form a fly-bar, whereby great resistance to stretching is, with greater certainty than heretofore, imparted to the buttonhole.` l

It is found that the widening out of the soft yarn filler, under the binding pressure `of thecovering-threads, makes itinore certainl that loops of the needle-thread will be passed through such cord to anchorthe latter as the sewing ofthe second side ofthe buttonhole reaches the point of overlapping the 'initial stitches. In other words, the wider the filler, the ygreater the likelihood that needle-loops will be passed through the same during the sewing of the fly-bar. The

soft yarnfiller also seems to be peculiarly lefficacious in combination with the particular overseam referred to, in that such seam does not` slide easily relatively to such filler.

,Iust'why this is'. so is not clearly apparent but is probably due to the embedding of each looper-thread loop into the yarn by the pressure of an overlapping looper-thread loop, thus forming av plurality of effective gripping points.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 are plan views, respectively, of the looper-thread and needle-thread sides of a |stitched buttonhole embodying the invention. Fig. 3 is a section on-the'line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Fig.4 is a cross-section of the soft yarn filler, with a showing in dotted lines of how the filler iswidened out under the pressure of thek covering-threads.r t

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated 1 represents a knitted body-fabric c which, asis well known, vis easily stretched transversely of its wales 2. Such' fabric has `toi-ined therein a buttonhole overseain coniprising a zigzag needle-thread 3 which is formed alternately into slit-stitch and depthi stitch needle-loops 4, 5, respectively, passing through vto the other side of the fabric.

The needle-thread loops are keyed by the alternately formed loops of a pair of looperthreads. The loop G of one looper-thread 7 enter and key the depth-stitch needle thread loop 5 and are entered and keyed bv the subsequently formed slit-stitch needlethread loop 4. The loops S of the other looper-tliread Qenter and key the slit-stitch needle-thread .loops 4 and are entered andl keyed by subsequently formed depth-stitch needle-thread loops `5. llhe various interlinked yloops form kinner and outer purls 10, 11, along the rows of slitandy depth- `stitch loops 4 and 5, or along the inner and outer margins of the oyerseam.

Bound down and deformed into flattened condition within the overseam, on the looperthread'side of the body-fabric, is the soft yarn filler 12 which was initially circular as shownv at 13, Fig. 4.

The soft yarn fille-r 12 under the pressure of the overlapping looper-tlnead loops 6, 8, so as to subst-antially fill the space between the purls 10 and 11. The tendency is to fiatten the yarn to an.y elliptical form, Fig. 3, so that the purls l() and 11 stand at about the same height as is widened out the threads binding the yarn liller. Thus the seain is et a characteristically flat and attractive appearance. Moreover it possesses the desired quality of tiexibility and is not atall wiry.

The linishing end et the overseain is sewn over the beginning end to forni a fly-bar and, by reason of the widening out of the yarn filler l2 under the pressure olf the coveringthreads, there is greater certainty that needle-thread loops will be sewn through the beginning yarn end to anchor the saine against slippage. n

The present buttonhole has been found strongly resistant to longitudinal deformation, even when formed in knit goods without an interlining of woven material. It is probable that this very desirable property is in large measure due to the embedding ot each looper-thread loop into the yarn by the pressure of an overlapping Looper-thread loop at the points g, thus torining a. plu rality ot effective gripping points.

lt is preferred to incorporate an additional yarn [iller 14- in the overseani at the needle- Jthread side of the butt-on holle` Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is l. In a stitched buttonhole, the combination with a` knitted body-fabric having a buttonhole-slit, of a buttonhole overseain including a zigzag needle thread :toi-ined alternately into depth-stitch and slit-stitch loops which pass through the body-fabric, and a pair ot' looper-threads formed alternately intoy loops, the loops ot one looper-threzul entering and keying the depth-stitch needlethread loops and being entered and keyed by the subsequently formed slit-stitch needle-thread loops, and the loops of the other looper-thread entering and keying the` slit-stitch needle-tlnead loops and being entered and keyed by the subsequently formed depth-stitch loops, the `inter-linked loops forming inner and outer purls along the rows of' depthand slit-stitch needleloops, and a soft yarn strand substantially lilling the space between said purls and held flattened by the overlying looper-thread loops.

2. A stitched buttonhole according to claim l, with the ends ot the oversealn sewn in overlapping relation beyond one end ot and in line with the buttonhole-slit to 'lorin a y-bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed iny naine to this specification.

ED'WARD B. ALLEN. 

